We all have been 'thrown' off the network at one time or another. Everytime that happens you get a quit message saying why.

Connection reset by peer

Many times when a user disconnects because of an error, a 'connection reset by peer' is included.
This means when the user quit, the connection was reset by the server. This immediately disconnects any
ghost that may be present and allows the user to connect to the server once again.

Ping timeout

Well here you simply stop talking and the server gets no !PONG response to its !PING and so you are disconnected.

Fail Buffer

Not common but it happens. What you are saying is something the server just can't handle at the moment.
It can be rejoining the network or getting flooded, when you at this moment sends a string of data (text) the server cannot buffer that and you are gone.

Max sendq exceeded

This is an old configuration on some servers that holds a max amount of data you can send during one session.
This means that the server can't relay the text you sent to it and the server disconnects you to make you start a new session.

Excess flood

No need to explain I believe, but I'll do it anyway: Too much, Too fast, Too big,
You simply sends too much and the server starts to dislike you and finally throws you off.

Write Error

A write error occurs when a server cannot successfully write to
a user's client. When the server receives information, it usually responds with information of its own.
When the server receives an error when writing to a client, it then disconnects the user, resulting in a write error quit message similar to the read error format.
For example: *** Raphsody has quit IRC (Write error to Raphsody [195.163.98.210], closing link).
This error was caused because the server closed the link when attempting to send data to the client.

Read Error

A read error occurs when a server cannot successfully read from a user's client.
Servers gather information from the client by text, setup, and other items.
When the server receives an error when reading from a client, it then disconnects the user, resulting in a read error quit message.
For example: *** Raphsody has quit IRC (Read error to Raphsody [195.163.98.210]: EOF from client).
This error was caused because the server expected more information from a file, and the file responded with an EOF (end of file) error.

You also may experience nick collision kills when the net junctions after a netsplit.
This usually happens when two users with the same nick on each side during a netsplit join together.
Since both users cannot continue with the same nickname, the oldest user (the one who has been online during that session the longest)
keeps the nick, and the newer user is killed and must reconnect with a different nickname.

The same nick collision kill occurs even if the same user is on both sides of the netsplit with the same hostmask, when it junctions.

Hope this file helps a little bit towards coming to terms with all that tech stuff going around and mainly all the other things you never get to try out.

Raphsody has written several other help files for us, you can find them here: